Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1156561

registered interest
date	28/10/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of their expenditure on the (1) child element, and (2) childcare costs element, of Universal Credit.
tabling member printed	Baroness Eaton
uin	HL441
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2019 answer text <p>The Department’s profile of spending on childcare in Universal Credit is shown in the table below. As the volume of claimants with children on legacy benefits decreases as they move to Universal Credit, spending on childcare will increase accordingly.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Ann. cost 18/19</p></td><td><p>Ann. cost 19/20</p></td><td><p>Ann. cost 20/21</p></td><td><p>Ann. cost 21/22</p></td><td><p>Ann. cost 22/23</p></td><td><p>Ann. cost 23/24</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total cost UC Childcare</p></td><td><p>£100m</p></td><td><p>£400m</p></td><td><p>£700m</p></td><td><p>£900m</p></td><td><p>£1,100m</p></td><td><p>£1,400m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p> </p><ol><li>The figures in the table above are derived from internal DWP models, and costs have been rounded to the nearest £100 million.</li></ol> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 05/11/2019 16:42:59 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4184 label Biography information for Baroness Eaton

1135497

registered interest
date	28/06/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that the childcare element of universal credit is not an economic barrier to work.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	270813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises that childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to take up paid work or increase their working hours. We are committed to helping parents into work.</p><p> </p><p>To overcome this barrier to employment, Universal Credit claimants are able to claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, compared to 70% on the legacy system. This can be claimed up to a month before starting a job, and can be worth up to £13,000 a year for families with two children.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the difficulty that some claimants might have in paying upfront childcare costs. Where the initial month’s childcare costs may prevent a claimant from starting work, Jobcentres will use the Flexible Support Fund to help claimants in the first instance. This is a non-repayable award, which can be used to meet the upfront childcare costs to help support a claimant into work. For claimants who are in work and need help with upfront childcare costs, budgeting advances are available that can be used to cover the cost of paying upfront childcare costs or a deposit.</p><p> </p><p>We have piloted a more flexible approach to claimants reporting childcare costs, which will allow people, including lone parents, to be reimbursed for childcare when, with good reason, they are not able to provide evidence within their assessment period. We are now looking to implement this nationally.</p><p> </p><p>We have undertaken significant work to increase work coach awareness and understanding of the Universal Credit childcare offer through improved training and guidance and communications.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit childcare policy also aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 270814 question first answered 03/07/2019 12:18:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1135498

registered interest
date	28/06/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to find a long-term solution for upfront costs in childcare under universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	270814
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises that childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to take up paid work or increase their working hours. We are committed to helping parents into work.</p><p> </p><p>To overcome this barrier to employment, Universal Credit claimants are able to claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, compared to 70% on the legacy system. This can be claimed up to a month before starting a job, and can be worth up to £13,000 a year for families with two children.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the difficulty that some claimants might have in paying upfront childcare costs. Where the initial month’s childcare costs may prevent a claimant from starting work, Jobcentres will use the Flexible Support Fund to help claimants in the first instance. This is a non-repayable award, which can be used to meet the upfront childcare costs to help support a claimant into work. For claimants who are in work and need help with upfront childcare costs, budgeting advances are available that can be used to cover the cost of paying upfront childcare costs or a deposit.</p><p> </p><p>We have piloted a more flexible approach to claimants reporting childcare costs, which will allow people, including lone parents, to be reimbursed for childcare when, with good reason, they are not able to provide evidence within their assessment period. We are now looking to implement this nationally.</p><p> </p><p>We have undertaken significant work to increase work coach awareness and understanding of the Universal Credit childcare offer through improved training and guidance and communications.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit childcare policy also aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 270813 question first answered 03/07/2019 12:18:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1110304

registered interest
date	08/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Child Poverty Action Group's recent report on universal credit, published on 6 April 2019, what assessment she has made of the two-child limit policy on compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	242040
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>The Government has assessed the impact of the two-child policy from an equality and human rights perspective throughout its development and in preparation for its implementation. Therefore, we consider that we have met our obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty and ensured compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the UN convention on the Rights of the Child.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit, ensures fairness between claimants, and to those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work. Families on benefits should face the same financial choices when deciding to grow their family as those supporting themselves solely through work. A benefits structure adjusting automatically to family size is unsustainable.</p><p> </p><p>The Government continues to take action to help families with the cost of living, including raising the national living wage, reducing the UC earnings taper, raising the income tax personal allowance, introducing tax-free childcare and 30 hours a week of free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 11/04/2019 13:29:04 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1086491

registered interest
date	11/03/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families in receipt of the lower child disability addition have transitioned from legacy benefits to universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	230744
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 14/03/2019 12:30:34 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1086494

registered interest
date	11/03/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families are in receipt of the lower child disability addition on universal credit for (a) one child (b) two children and (c) three or more children.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	230745
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The estimated number of Universal Credit households with Disabled Child Entitlement at the lower rate in November 2018, Great Britain is given below. The notes should be read in conjunction with the information provided in the table.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Estimated number of </strong><strong>Households on </strong><strong>Universal Credit </strong><strong>with Disabled Child Entitlement at the lower rate, by number of children,</strong><strong> in November 2018, Great Britain</strong><strong>.</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Households</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>One child</p></td><td><p>15,890</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Two children</p></td><td><p>570</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Three or more children</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>16,480</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Source:</strong> Universal Credit Household dataset.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p> </p><ol><li>Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 so may not sum.</li><li>Households with Disabled Child Entitlement at the lower rate may also have entitlement at the higher rate for one or more children.</li><li>A count date of the second Thursday of the month is used when calculating the statistics for households on Universal Credit.</li></ol><p> </p><p>Further information on the background and methodology for Universal Credit can be accessed here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/739399/universal-credit-statistics-background-methodology.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/739399/universal-credit-statistics-background-methodology.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 14/03/2019 16:19:09 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1041741

registered interest
date	15/01/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the exceptional circumstances are which will allow full support under universal credit for third and subsequent children born after April 2017.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	208849
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2019 answer text <p>Since 6 April 2017, families with third and subsequent children born on or after this date are able to claim additional support through Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit for their first two children.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family. That is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups.</p><p> </p><p>Exceptions apply to third and subsequent children who are:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Additional children in a multiple birth: an extra amount is payable for all children in a multiple birth other than the first child; or</li><li>Likely to have been born as a result of non-consensual conception, which for this purpose includes non-consensual sex where the claimant was in a controlling or coercive relationship with the child’s other biological parent at the time of conception.</li></ul><p> </p><p>An exception also applies to any children in a household who are:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Adopted when they would otherwise be in Local Authority care; or</li><li>Living long term with friends or family and would otherwise be at risk of entering the care system, or where a child (under 16) living with their parents or carers has a child of their own (until they make a separate claim upon turning 16).</li></ul> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 23/01/2019 16:36:02 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1022895

registered interest
date	10/12/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the child distress easement to Universal Credit work-related requirements has been applied to date in (1) England, (2) Wales, and (3) Scotland.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL12155
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2018 answer text <p>The Department does not centrally record information on specific easements applied to individual claimants.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe grouped question UIN HL12153 HL12154 question first answered 18/12/2018 16:15:31 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1011270

registered interest
date	20/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to postpone the extension of the policy to provide support to a maximum of two children to new Universal Credit claimants.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth
uin	HL11631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>The policy aims to strike the appropriate balance between support for claimants with children and fairness to taxpayers and families with children who support themselves solely through work. A benefits structure that adjusts automatically to family size is ultimately not sustainable, and parents who support themselves solely through work would not generally expect to see their wages increase simply because of the addition of a new child to their family.</p><p> </p><p>There are exceptions in place to support those unable to make choices about the number of children in their household.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 04/12/2018 13:07:31 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4314 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth

1002477

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their decision to extend the policy to provide Universal Tax Credit to a maximum of two children to new Universal Credit claimants from February 2019, whether there will be an exception for families with three or more children who were born before 6 April 2017.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL11318
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>Since 6 April 2017 families with third and subsequent children born on or after this date are able to claim additional support through Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit for their first two children only. This maximum support will also apply to entirely new claims to Universal Credit on or after 1 February 2019, regardless of the date of birth of their children.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants that are already receiving support for those born before 6 April 2017 will continue to do so. If they subsequently move to or reclaim Universal Credit (following a break in claim of less than 6 months) they will receive the child element for the same number of children they were previously. This will apply both if they naturally migrate following a significant change of circumstances or are moved as part of managed migration, so long as they remain responsible for the same children.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 20/11/2018 17:10:57 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham